Fears that the September earthquake would cut off the flow of tourists to Morocco have proven wrong: more than 960,000 tourists visited Morocco in September 2023
Marrakesh welcomes the annual meeting ofIMF and the world Bank. Although the country has gone through difficult times due to a devastating earthquake, is determined to move forward with tourism as a driving force. And the future holds exciting challenges, since Morocco will co-host the 2030 Soccer World Cup.
It is the 2nd time that an African country hosts the annual meetings of the IMF and the World Bank. The event brought together in Marrakech more than 10,000 people.
Behind the devastating Al Haouz earthquake of September 8, a possible change of headquarters was considered. However, both institutions decided to show their confidence in the country.
These annual meetings are an opportunity for the international community to show solidarity with the Moroccan people, who have once again demonstrated their resilience in the face of tragedy.
“What we have seen in the last four weeks shows that both the authorities and civil society in Morocco have been able to recover very quickly. And this is something that we also wanted to underline in these annual meetings. We had the opportunity to visit the affected area “and it’s impressive. We saw how students returned to schools, in different ways, but they are studying again.”he says Director of the IMF’s Middle East and Central Asia Department, Jihad Azour.
An increasingly popular tourist destination
Morocco is one of the main tourist destinations in the world. In 2022, the country welcomed some 11 million tourists. Nearly 550,000 people work directly in the tourism sector, representing 15% of the total workforce.
Fears that the earthquake would cut off the flow of tourists have proven wrong: more than 960,000 tourists visited Morocco in September 2023which represents a notable growth of 7% compared to September 2022.
“It is crucial to communicate to the world that the situation is more than under control, that we are back to normal life. As for arrivals, we have been monitoring reservations and cancellations and, frankly, we have been doing quite well. And what “It was great is that the tourists who were in Morocco at that time began to share their testimonies on social networks about the real situation and that really helped us a lot to convey what was really happening in Marrakech”explains to Euronews the Minister of Tourism of Morocco, Fatim-Zahra Ammor.
The Moroccan authorities consider the increase in the number of visitors to be a vote of confidence that also demonstrates the effectiveness of their immediate response after the earthquake.
Furthermore, the country has set the goal of doubling the number of tourists by 2030year in which he will co-organize the world CupWith Spain and Portugal.
“We believe the future is bright for tourism in Morocco. We have a strong vision of doubling the number of tourists in Morocco by 2030, which is around 26 million visitors. We are reorienting our offering around experiences that “The traveler can experience, like the beach and the sun, like the waves of the sea or the culture or the gastronomy. So the offer is built around experiences rather than destinations.”says the minister.
Annual events boost the hotel sector
The annual meeting gave a significant boost to the Marrakech hotel sector.
Apart from the large hotels, the city has gained fame for the Riads: multi-story houses centered around an open-air courtyard with a fountain and belonged to the wealthiest citizens, merchants and merchants. Many have now been converted into boutique hotels.
“These days, this week, we have received many tourists who came for this conference, which is providing mobility for the progress of our economy. There are many events that Morocco will organize in the future, and I am sure that there will be more hotels that can host them, especially for the 2030 World Cup.”shares Wadia Bejouj, who is a hotel manager.
To date, Morocco has received a total of 11.1 million tourists in 2023exceeding the figures for the entire year 2022.
The figure should not be surprising, since Marrakech is filled with visitors in October. In the souks, we saw hundreds of tourists wandering around, looking for products and more than willing to share with us their feelings about Morocco:
“My mother says it’s the most beautiful country she’s ever visited. So of course I had to come see it for myself too. It’s beautiful, I’ve only been here one day. We landed in Fez and immediately went to Casablanca , to a beautiful restaurant with dancers and live music. The next day we came straight here. It’s full of people, it’s lively, it smells good, I love it here, it’s really great!”says a tourist excitedly.
“The people have been very friendly from the moment we arrived. They have helped us by explaining everything to us. The food has been delicious. The whole culture is so different from the European lifestyle, but so fascinating, so pleasant, so far so good”adds another.
Having achieved much, Morocco is now trying diversify your product and offer new experiences to your visitors.
He climate change It is also an important concern, taken into account, as the country implements its new plan that will mark the future of the tourism sector in the coming decades.
